Hand-to-Heart Combat
by saintjoanofsnark
Summary: [A Garasoka story/AU.] Zeb admired Ahsoka, but he was adamant about this: he did not love Ahsoka Tano. Did he? Rated K-plus for flirting and romance. [Disclaimer can be found on my profile. Additional warnings at the beginning of each chapter.] [Now complete!]
1. Invitation

**A/N: Reposted from earlier, fixed the problems. Anyway, please tell me how I did! (Sorry, it's kind of short, but I'll try to update it as soon as possible!)**

Zeb glanced up from his HoloChess game with Chopper when he heard the common room door slide open to see Ahsoka standing there… in just a sports bra and sweatpants. She had a towel thrown over her shoulder and a water bottle in her hand and was sweating slightly, something that made her even more attractive in Zeb's eyes.

"Hey, Ahsoka!" Ezra said, looking up from the datapad he was playing on with a grin. Ahsoka smiled back at him before glancing around the room.

"Hey, Ezra. Where's Kanan?" she asked, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. Ezra shrugged and went back to playing on his 'pad. Sabine glanced up from her sketchbook to gesture towards the cockpit.

"I think he's with Hera," she said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Why?"

"Oh, never mind," Ahsoka said, standing up and stretching her arms above her head. "I wanted to see if he'd spar with me, but I guess I can-"

"I'll train with you," Zeb burst out. Ezra and Ahsoka looked at him in surprise while Sabine just smirked knowingly at her sketchbook. Flattening his ears, Zeb went on in a calmer voice, "I mean, if you want a partner, I'd be glad ta, y'know…" He trailed off and looked at his feet, thankful his fur hid his blushing face.

"Sure," Ahsoka said. When Zeb looked up he saw she was smiling. "Thanks, Zeb! I was going to train on my own, but it's always good to practice with someone else. Meet me in the fitness room on the Phoenix Home?"

"Um, yeah, sure, I'll, uh, be right there," Zeb said. Ahsoka nodded and the door slid shut behind her.

"Oooooh, Zeeeb," Sabine said in a sing-song voice, her eyes bright. "You like her, don't you?"

"No!" Zeb snapped back hotly. Sabine just grinned knowingly at him. "Aw, shut it," Zeb growled lowly. Ezra was looking between Sabine, Zeb, and the now closed door with a confused expression on his face.

"What?" he asked.

"Zeb likes Ahsoka," Sabine said smugly, carefully choosing a colored pencil and oh-so-delicately placing its tip on her paper.

"I like her too…" Ezra said, looking more lost than ever. Sabine rolled her eyes.

"No, Ezra, he _like_ likes her."

"I do not!" Zeb nearly snarled, his ears flat against his head.

"Yes, you do, you liar! I saw the way you looked at her when she came in!" Sabine countered defiantly. Ezra was staring at Zeb with an odd expression on his face that Zeb didn't particularly like.

"What're you lookin' at, kid?" Zeb turned to Ezra with a scowl. Ezra just grinned and winked at him.

"Don't try to hide your emotions from a Jedi, Zeb," he said, sounding very self-satisfied, before turning back to his datapad. Zeb snarled something about nosy kids as he stormed out of the room, heading towards the airlock.


	2. Training

**A/N: Yay, new chapter is up! Comments, questions, reviews, and helpful criticism are always appreciated!**

When the door to the fitness room, often called the gym, slid open, Zeb wasn't surprised to see Ahsoka already hard at work with a punching bag. For a few seconds Zeb was content to stand there watching her before he cleared his throat. Ahsoka threw in one last punch before tossing her head back and grinning at him.

"Hey, Zeb!" she waved him over as she scooped up her water bottle and took a long gulp from it. Zeb nodded to her and shifted awkwardly; now what? Kriff it all, why was he so _nervous_? Luckily, Ahsoka broke the silence by tossing him a pair of white wrappings that looked kind of like bandages. "For your hands," she called over her shoulder as she wrapped her own hands before reaching up to take down the punching bag. Her arm muscles bulged and rippled as she heaved the bag off its hook and swung it over her shoulder and Zeb watched, absentmindedly wrapping his hands. She walked over to a corner and dropped the heavy bag before dusting off her hands and swinging around to face Zeb again.

"Alright, then, let's just start with some blocks and parries," she said, taking a stance in front of Zeb.

"Oh, uh, r-right, yeah," Zeb cursed himself for stuttering- _seriously, what was wrong with him?_ \- and copied her stance. Without warning, Ahsoka's fist flashed up and hit him solidly on the cheek, making him stumble back.

"Oh, kriff, I'm so sorry, Zeb, I thought you were ready!" Ahsoka's eyes danced with merriment, though she did look concerned as she offered him a hand. "I'm sorry, I thought you were ready," she apologized again as Zeb rubbed his cheek.

"Nah, s'fine," Zeb waved her off with a sheepish grin. "It was my fault, I wasn' payin' attention. Good hit, though," he joked, pleased when she laughed. They settled back into place before Zeb said, "Alrigh', now I'm ready." This earned him another pleasing laugh before he had to block her hard, albeit slower, punch.

They parried back and forth in comfortable silence for a few minutes before they slowly began picking up the speed. At one point, Ahsoka added kicks in, moving faster and faster as she did. Zeb could feel his fur dampening with sweat but he wasn't feeling tired; at least, not yet.

Back and forth they went, shifting their feet and moving across the floor like some wild, ferocious tango. It was exhilarating to be moving like this with her, so close he could see her eyebrows pinched together in concentration, the little beads of sweat as they ran down her face and lekku, the pretty blue of her irises…

Then it happened. Ahsoka tripped over her feet ever so slightly but just enough that she couldn't get her arms up in time and Zeb's next kick hit her squarely in the side. Time seemed to slow as Ahsoka's eyes went wide and the air left her lungs with a whoosh before she hit the ground, hard.

"Karabast! I-I'm so, _so_ sorry, Ahsoka; are you all righ'?" Zeb immediately crouched next to her and reached out to grab her arm before hesitating. She waved off his concern as she carefully sat up and took long, even breaths.

"I'm fine… Zeb. Just… the wind knocked outta… me, is all…" she managed to wheeze out. After she had caught her breath and Zeb had helped her to her feet, apologizing profusely, she touched her side gingerly. "Ooh, that's gonna leave a bruise," she laughed.

"Are ya sure you're okay?" Zeb asked worriedly, arms out and ready to catch her should she fall again.

"I'm fine, Zeb," she assured him, touching his hand and making his face heat up. "I've taken worse before; trust me, I'm fine." She smiled encouragingly at him.

"Well, if you're sure…" he said, glancing at her side again. Ahsoka nodded and settled back into her stance when there was a crackle and a faint voice. She sighed, straightening up and unhooking her comm from her belt in one fluid motion.

"Hold on, let me answer this." She held the comm up and continued in a louder voice, "Yes?"

"Ahsoka, this is Commander Sato. You're needed on the bridge for a debriefing of your next meeting as well as a status report with the Senator," Sato's voice was strong over the comm.

"I'll be right there, Commander," Ahsoka affirmed before switching her comm off and looking at Zeb apologetically. "Sorry, Zeb," she said. "I guess our session is over." Zeb's ears drooped slightly, but he nodded anyway. He knew duty came first. He was surprised when Ahsoka continued with a slightly hopeful look, "Maybe we can do this again sometime?"

"Yeah," Zeb found himself saying, meeting her inquisitive gaze. "Yeah, of course. I'd love to." Ahsoka smiled back at him and nodded goodbye before slinging the towel back over her shoulder and heading out of the room, lekku swaying. Zeb watched her go, feeling happier than he had in a long time.


	3. Family

**A/N: Hey all! Thank you so much to 100-YardStare, Malachi, and SpaceBlueberries for the reviews! They truly mean a lot to me and really keep me writing this out! On a side note, I'm not quite sure how many chapters this will have, but I don't think I'll drag it out too long. Anyway, this chapter is mainly the rest of the crew's reactions to Zeb's little crush (PS, we all know Sabine's a huge shipper).**

"Hey, Zeb," Sabine said when he walked into the _Ghost_ 's common room. "How was your date with Ahsoka?" Her eyes twinkled mischievously.

"It wasn't a date," Zeb snapped at her, flattening his ears.

"Um, what?" the voice came from behind Zeb; he spun around to see Kanan standing there with his 'I-kind-of-don't-want-to-know' expression that he usually reserved for Ezra, one eyebrow raised. Sabine snorted behind him and it took all his effort to not turn around and throttle her.

"Oh, I, uh, was tranin' with Ahsoka," Zeb explained. "She was lookin' for you but you weren't there so I trained with her instead and…" Realizing that he was beginning to ramble, Zeb trailed off, feeling heat rushing to his face. _Why am I blushing all the time lately?_ he thought furiously to himself. Luckily, Kanan seemed to just shrug the comment away.

"Okay," he said, dragging the word out longer than Zeb thought necessary and winking at Sabine over Zeb's shoulder. "Sure, right. _Training_."

"Shut up," Zeb growled half-heartedly, shoving his shoulder playfully and rolling his eyes as he headed towards the cockpit. "I'm gonna go see Hera; at least _she_ won't judge me." He heard the laughter following him down the hall and smirked, slightly amused.

Hera barely glanced up as he entered the cockpit, but she did smile in welcome. Chopper, however, rolled over and beeped something in that droid language of his that Zeb could barely understand.

"Chopper! Watch your language," Hera snapped at him before turning to Zeb. "Chopper says you were with Ahsoka?"

"Hey, how did you know that, rustbucket?" Zeb kicked Chopper's dome before collapsing into the co-pilot seat. "Ah, yeah, I was… we were training." Chopper warbled something lowly that Zeb didn't quite catch but knew was probably vulgar, so he kicked him again for good measure. Chopper wheeled out of the room, squealing indignantly.

"Oh," Hera ignored Chopper and looked at Zeb with surprise. "Well, was it nice?"

"Er, yeah she- I mean, uh, it… it was nice," Zeb answered awkwardly, picking at the armrest. Hera hummed in response and turned back to the controls with a slight smile. Zeb grunted under his breath and tapped his foot against the ground, staring out into space and replaying his time with Ahsoka over again in his head.

She'd certainly been interesting to be around, and it was fun to train with someone his own size and strength for once. Not that he didn't like training with his crew- Kanan was the best to train with as Zeb wasn't afraid of breaking him like he was with Ezra or maybe Hera (though he'd never tell her that)- but it was nice to not have to hold back for fear of hurting his opponent. Besides, Ahsoka's style was pretty different from what he was used to; much more graceful and almost _acrobatical_ , if that was even a word (which he was fairly sure it wasn't).

He'd liked it. Hera was right; it had been… nice.

* * *

"They should date," Sabine spoke up as soon as Zeb's footsteps had faded from their hearing. Kanan stared at her and Ezra looked up from his datapad with wide eyes and eyebrows raised.

"Um… where did that come from, exactly?" Kanan questioned, leaning behind Ezra on the couch.

"I dunno, I just thought that they'd look cute together," Sabine shrugged. "Besides, he _obviously_ likes her, so why not ask if she feels the same way?"

"She's cool," Ezra said distractedly, tapping at his pad with a look of concentration on his face. Kanan rolled his eyes and tapped Ezra softly on the head. "What?" he asked defensively, glaring at Kanan in what he probably thought was a threatening manner. "She is! She's nice and I like her." He huffed at Kanan and turned back to his 'pad, muttering something softly under his breath.

"Think we should set them up?" Sabine asked Kanan, looking at him over the top of her sketchbook and choosing to ignore Ezra. "I propose that we set them up for, like, a dinner date or something," Sabine went on, waving her hands to accentuate her points. "Pretend everyone had to cancel or was busy so it'll just be the two of them. We can have good food, candles, mood lighting, maybe some music… You know, the works!"

"Uh, I'm not too sure about that, Sabine," Kanan grinned at her. "I've got a feeling neither of them would appreciate your, ahem, 'help' as much as you're imagining." Sabine rolled her eyes in response.

"Well, _duh_ , Kanan; that's why we have to set them up!" She nudged Ezra with her foot. "Right, Ezra?"

"Huh? Yeah, sure, whatever," he said, tapping furiously at something. "Ugh, Sa _bine_! You made me die! And I almost beat my high score, too," he shook his head and restarted his game, sticking his tongue out slightly in concentration. Sabine sighed; no help from him, then.

"Fine," Sabine said haughtily, gathering up her materials. "I'll go ask Hera. She appreciates my-"

"Stubbornness?" Kanan suggested.

"No! Creativeness! I was going to say creativeness!" Sabine spun around with an over dramatic flip of her head and stalked off, smiling slightly despite herself.

* * *

Hera heard Zeb mutter something about his room before trudging off and nodded absently, still fiddling with the wires sprouting from the open control panel. Several moments of peaceful silence passed and Hera had taken her seat in the pilot's chair again and was testing some switches when the door slid open again and she could hear another, different pair of feet come in; Sabine.

"Hey, Hera!" Sabine called out, plopping down in the now-empty copilot seat ( _why did they always sit there?_ Hera wondered) and watching Hera work for a few seconds. Hera sensed that she had something to say and leaned back again with a sigh.

"Alright, let's hear it," she said, wiping her gloved hands off on her suit. Sabine took a deep, excited breath and launched into a speech that sounded like she was speaking some different language, complete with wild hand gestures.

"SoZebandAhsokaweretrainingandZeb _obviously_ likeshersoIthinkweshouldsetthemupbutKananwouldn'tanswermesoIcametoaskyouwhatyouthinkaboutthem-"

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down!" Hera held up her hands placatingly and Sabine stopped. "Now, take a few deep breaths and say it again, but slower this time so I can actually understand you."

"Right, sorry. Zeb was training with Ahsoka and I was only teasing him about it but by his reaction he likes her, so, I was thinking that maybe we could- or, I could, set them up on a date!" Sabine looked hopefully at Hera, smiling widely. _Oh, brother_ , Hera thought. _There she goes again_.

"Sabine, you can't just set everyone up on dates all the time," Hera responded gently. Sabine frowned and Hera continued quickly before she could interrupt. "I think it's sweet that you want people to be happy, but you can't force these things. If they truly like each other then they'll work something out. For now, let's just leave them be." Hera set her hand on Sabine's shoulder and smiled.

"You're right, Hera, as usual," Sabine sighed dejectedly. She'd really wanted them to get together; they'd be so cute! "I just… Zeb really likes her and I just want him to be happy!"

"Well, I'm not too sure he'd be happy about you messing around with his love life," Hera pointed out, smiling mischievously as she turned back to the _Ghost's_ controls. Sabine grinned in response.


	4. Courage

_**A/N: Hey there guys... *dodges rotten fruit and various other projectiles* I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I know I haven't updated in forever, but I promise this is not abandoned. Full explanation can be found on my profile, but feel free to PM me about any further questions and/or complaints you have. As usual, comments, questions, reviews, and helpful criticism is always appreciated. Full disclaimer is available on my profile.**_

 _ **(This chapter may be rated T for (slightly) suggestive themes/imagery due to Zeb's fantasies, but there isn't much detail. You have been warned)**_

Zeb sighed, sitting down on his bed heavily. He _didn't_ like Ahsoka; not like that, at least, he told himself sternly. Besides, if he did, so what? There wasn't anything he could do about it, after all. They _were_ in the middle of a Rebellion, not to mention that she was a Jedi and way out of his league. He didn't have a chance even if he did like her, _which he didn't_ , so it was pointless to dwell on it. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

The door slid open suddenly, jolting Zeb out of his unhappy thoughts, and he looked up to see Ezra standing in the doorway.

"Oh. Um, sorry Zeb, I didn't know you were still in here," he apologized, stepping in and letting the door shut behind him. "Have you seen my helmet?"

"It's right here, under this pile of your dirty clothes," Zeb answered drily, kicking at the previously mentioned pile. Ezra grinned sheepishly at him and shrugged, blinking innocently. Zeb rolled his eyes and tossed the helmet to him.

"Thanks, Zeb," Ezra said, turning to the door. He paused before turning around and asking hesitantly, "You like her, don't you? Ahsoka, I mean." Zeb jerked his head up and opened his mouth for a snappy retort when he saw Ezra's face. There was no trace of playfulness, no sign that he was teasing Zeb. All he could see was curiosity and sincerity.

"I don't know," Zeb admitted, rubbing the back of his head with a hand and avoiding the kid's bright eyes. "I admire her, and I think she's really pretty, but I'm not in love with her. I can't be. I mean, we're in the middle of a war! We don't have time-"

"For feelings?" Ezra questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Kanan and Hera seem to find the time." Zeb had to smile at that.

"That's true. But Ahsoka's too busy. She doesn't have time for things like romance and love. Besides, she's way out my league anyway, even if I did love her." Ezra set down his helmet and sat down next to Zeb.

"What do you mean, 'out of your league'?" he asked, staring intensely at Zeb with those blue eyes that seemed like they could pierce your soul. Zeb sighed and shrugged. "You do like her," Ezra continued. "And there's no way to know if she feels the same without asking her."

" _Ask her?!_ Kid, are you crazy? She'd laugh at me!"

"No she wouldn't," Ezra responded calmly. "The worst that could happen is that she'd say no. Besides," he added with a grin. "At least then you won't be moping anymore."

"I'm not moping," Zeb growled playfully, pushing Ezra's shoulder. He turned serious again as he mulled over what Ezra had said. "I guess I could give it a try…" he said reluctantly. Ezra smiled brightly at him before grabbing his helmet and bounding out of the room. With a jolt, Zeb realized that Ezra had gotten him to admit what he refused to say; he was in love with Ahsoka Tano. Zeb squared his shoulders determinedly and headed out of the room to find her.

* * *

After a bit of fruitless questioning and some procrastination, a young Twi'lek girl was able to point Zeb in the direction of Commander Sato's office.

"Ahsoka? You mean Fulcrum? She is in the Commander's office," the girl told him in a strong Huttese accent. "They are in a very important meeting, not to be interrupted."

"Thanks," Zeb said distractedly. The girl nodded to him as he turned in the direction she had indicated, arriving quicker than he had anticipated. Now that he was here, Zeb was nervous. He forced himself to take a deep breath and raised a hesitant fist, ready to knock. However, before he could even touch the door, it slid open and Ahsoka stepped out and collided with Zeb, their foreheads smashing together painfully.

"Ow! Oh, sorry Zeb," Ahsoka stepped back, a hand pressed to her forehead and her face screwed up lightly with pain. "I wasn't paying attention. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Zeb assured her, rubbing what he was sure would develop into a good-sized knot. He looked up and met Ahsoka's worried and apologetic gaze. "Really," he added. "I'm fine. It doesn' even hurt. Y'know, that badly."

Ahsoka had to grin at that, but she nodded anyway and put a gentle, apologetic hand on his shoulder. Zeb nodded as he felt his face heat up. She was so close that he could see the little red spot forming on her forehead from their collision; he watched as her lips curved slightly in a sympathetic grimace, forming small wrinkles around her nose and between her eyes. She shook her head slightly as if to clear it and the action caused her lekku to shake and shiver slightly. Zeb suddenly found himself fascinated by them, staring at the way they bounced and swayed, his fingers itching to touch them.

 _Karabast, what's wrong with me?_ Zeb wondered, unable to tear his gaze away from her swinging lekku, strong and graceful facial features, and tall montrals. He'd been around Hera for years with no problems or weird feelings or this burning need to brush against them, so why did he feel this way now? Why did he suddenly want to feel _Ahsoka's_ lekku? Why did he want to caress them, feel them tremble under his hands as he stroked along them, up their length and past her neck and lips and face, rubbing up her montrals, feel her smooth lekku shivering beneath his palms as he pet them gently, fondly, trail his fingers across her cheeks and trace the curve of her lips…

Zeb snapped himself out of his increasingly passionate fantasies quickly, sure that his face was glowing bright red, fur or no fur. Ahsoka was looking at him strangely and he realized with a jolt that she must have said something to him. Oops.

"Er, ah, sorry, wha' was that?" he asked, feigning nonchalance- and, judging by Ahsoka's amused expression, failing pretty spectacularly.

"I asked if there was something you needed," she said, her hand leaving his shoulder to cover her barely contained laughter. Zeb swallowed and shifted his feet before offering her a tentative grin.

"Well, I was thinkin' earlier that I… enjoyed our practice, er, trainin', and, um, I was wonderin', or at least I thought that you did too. I mean, you said- well, you told me-" At Ahsoka's raised brow he steeled himself and managed to finish, saying, "Do you wanna maybe do somethin' later? Like, the two of us, somewhere fun?" He looked at her hopefully. Ahsoka's wide smile faded and Zeb felt his heart sink.

"Look, Zeb, I'd love to," she began hesitantly. Zeb flattened his ears, bracing himself for the inevitable rebuff. Why had he ever thought that she'd even look twice at him? As if she had heard his thoughts, Ahsoka quickly continued, saying earnestly, "Really I would!

"But I have a mission. I was being debriefed in Commander Sato's office, and I have to leave for Nar Shaddaa soon." To Zeb's surprise, she looked genuinely sorry. "Besides, I'm busy with the Rebellion. I wouldn't… I don't have time for… that stuff." She finished, a slight blush coloring her attractive features.

"That hasn't stopped Kanan and Hera," Zeb pointed out with a wry grin. Ahsoka smiled slightly and Zeb continued, encouraged. "Maybe I could come with you as back-up on your mission," he suggested. "Just in case anything goes wrong. It _is_ Nar Shaddaa, after all." Ahsoka paused and stroked her chin, considering his offer. Zeb crossed his claws and prayed to the Force that she would say yes.

"Well, this mission isn't need-to-know basis," she said slowly, the smile growing on her face as she thought out loud. "I don't see a problem with you tagging along. Besides, you have a point about back-up; going into a cantina on Nar Shaddaa alone isn't the best idea." She shifted closer to him and punched his shoulder lightly, adding teasingly, "I'd welcome the presence of a big, strong Lasat to watch my back."

"I'll go tell Hera and get the supplies we'll need," Zeb offered, trying to ignore his heart's frantic thumping at Ahsoka's closeness and the prospect of going on a mission with her. Alone.

"I'll inform Commander Sato of the changes in the plan," Ahsoka told him with a nod, stepping away from him and turning serious once more. Zeb pushed away the sinking feeling growing in his stomach and forced himself to pay attention as she continued.

"I'll fill you in on all the details in the shuttle. Meet me in the hangar when you're ready." Zeb nodded his response and watched her re-enter Commander Sato's office before trotting back towards the _Ghost_ , excitement building in his chest.


	5. Misadventures

_**A/N: I'm back! Inspiration has hit me once again for this story, so I'm trying to wrap it up as quickly as I can before it fades. Anyway, this chapter focuses solely on Zeb trying to tell Hera about the mission and the**_ **Ghost _crew's reactions. Hope you enjoy and, as usual, comments, questions, reviews, and helpful criticism are always appreciated._**

Zeb made his way to the cockpit, hoping not to run into anyone on the way. He really wasn't up to more teasing from the kids and Chopper. _Of course I have no such luck_ , he thought grumpily as Ezra came barreling around the corner with Sabine hard on his heels. Upon spotting Zeb standing in the hall in front of them, Sabine skidded to a stop to avoid crashing into him. Apparently, Ezra had no such reservations, as he made no attempts to slow his progress in any way.

"Incoming!" he yelled, hurtling towards Zeb with what he was sure was Force-enhanced speed. Zeb braced himself for impact, but Ezra turned slightly at the last minute and merely reached out an arm as he sped by him, snagging Zeb by the waist and using his momentum to spin himself completely around before skidding to a stop. "Hey Zeb," he continued as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Oh, shove off," Zeb growled, halfheartedly shouldering the kid aside and continuing towards the cockpit. Sabine jogged ahead of him and turned, walking backwards in front of him so she could keep walking and face him at the same time.

"Where are you going?" she asked, peering at his face suspiciously.

"None of your business," Zeb snapped. He tried to sidestep past her but found his way blocked by Ezra, who had finally caught up and was practically bouncing next to him. Sabine was still pacing backwards with no signs of faltering and crossed her arms when she saw his escape attempt.

"Zeb went to talk to Ahsoka," Ezra said with a teasing lilt in his voice and a mischievous grin lighting up his face. Zeb flattened his ears with a low growl and reached out to smack the kid, but he nimbly skipped out of reach with a cackle.

"You did not! I can't believe it!" Sabine said, her eyes lighting up. She squealed with excitement and nearly tripped over her own feet before bouncing back up and blabbering on. "What'd you say to her? What's going on? Oooooh, does she like you too? Are you going on a date? Where-"

"Sabine!" Zeb cut her off quickly, stopping outside the cockpit. "I need to talk to Hera." The kids stared at him and he added forcefully, "Alone. Without you." He felt a small twinge of guilt at the way their faces fell and sighed. "I'm goin' on a mission with her," he said in a softer tone. "But I need to see Hera firs', let her know wha's goin' on." Sabine nodded thoughtfully before beaming at him in a satisfied way. She grabbed Ezra by the scruff of his shirt and began dragging him away, ignoring his yelped protests. Zeb shook his head and entered the cockpit.

"Um, Hera?" Zeb asked, glancing around. Chopper didn't seem to be there (thank Ashla), but Kanan was. He looked over at Zeb from where he was standing on a short, rickety ladder and messing with some sparking wires located high on the wall and gestured to the pilot's seat with his chin.

"Hey, Zeb," Hera greeted, sliding out from underneath the _Ghost_ 's console and sitting up. "What do you need?" She stood up and wiped her gloved hands on her suit before picking up the toolbox that lay on the floor next to her.

"I'm goin' on a mission," Zeb told her. She raised one tattooed eyebrow in surprise and waited for him to continue even as she slipped past him and passed the toolbox to a struggling Kanan. "Ahsoka invited me on hers, as back-up. I don' know all the details, but we're goin' to Nar Shaddaa."

"Do you two need any reinforcements?" Hera asked, placing a steadying hand on Kanan's lower back as his perch wobbled precariously. "Because I'm sure we can come along if-"

"No, we're fine," Zeb assured her quickly; too quickly, apparently, wincing as she lowered her arm and faced him once again with slight suspicion.

"So you talked to Ahsoka, I see," Kanan turned his head to grin at Zeb. One of the wires, apparently sensing the momentary lapse in attention, seized its chance and made a bid for freedom, slipping away from the Jedi's fingers to flail around before hitting his wrist with a sharp sizzling sound. Kanan let out a hiss of pain at the contact and jerked back, losing his balance and crashing to the floor with a loud thud and an even louder expletive. Hera sighed in exasperation as the door slid open and Ezra stuck his head in with a wary expression.

"What was that?" he asked, peering down at Kanan.

"He got hit by a sparking wire and fell off," Zeb sniggered, bent double in his effort not to laugh. Kanan rolled his eyes as he got to his feet and brushed himself off before turning to Ezra.

"It was nothing," Kanan assured the kid, resting an arm around Ezra's shoulders and steering him out, throwing a wink at Zeb as he went. "Now, what was it that you and Sabine wanted to show me?"

"What was this about a date?" Hera asked when the door had shut behind the two Jedi, crossing her arms and pinning Zeb with her best 'you'd-better-explain-this-right-now' expression, which never failed to extract the answers from the "kids" and was, quite frankly, a rather remarkable feat considering Zeb was at least twenty years older than her.

"I… um, well… I guess I kind of… like Ahsoka," Zeb told her hesitantly. It wasn't that he was afraid to tell her about his… feelings, as she was the least likely of any of his crew to mock him; rather, he was hesitant to reveal it at all. It was as if admitting it out loud would make it more _real_ , more final. Zeb pushed past his reluctance and continued in a rush, "So I went and foun' her and asked her out. Y'know, on a date."

"Really?" Hera asked, her confused expression softening as a smile spread across her features. "That's great, Zeb! What did she say?" Hera's eyes met his and Zeb felt his apprehension melt away at her pleased expression.

"Well, she said she's got a mission, but she invited me along," Zeb told her, puffing out his chest slightly and failing to suppress a joyful grin. "She sent me here to let you know the plan while she tells the Commander. I'm not sure how long we'll be, though, so, if you need me here…"

"Nonsense," Hera scoffed, a twinkle in her eyes. "I'm sure we can manage without you for a few days. Go on, spend some time with Ahsoka. Who am I to deny love?" She added teasingly, leaning against the wall.

"Thanks, Hera," Zeb said fervently, meeting her amused expression with his grateful one. "I owe you one."


	6. Negotiations

_**A/N: This chapter is twice as long as most of the others, so that's a thing. Anyway, there's an OC in this chapter, a Hutt named Vatargg, but he's kind of a villain and mostly a background character, so it shouldn't be an issue. Huttese translations are at the bottom of the page. A** **s usual, comments, questions, reviews, and helpful criticism are always appreciated.**_

 ** _(This chapter may be rated T for suggestive phrasing, slight swearing, and general Hutt stuff. You have been warned.)_**

* * *

Ahsoka was standing outside a small transport shuttle the Alliance had commandeered from the Empire not long ago, deep in conversation with several official-looking people when Zeb entered the hangar. Zeb noticed immediately that Ahsoka looked upset; her arms were crossed tightly over her chest and her expression was unusually grave.

As Zeb approached the group, he could hear the sounds of furious arguing, though he couldn't make out any words. Ahsoka spotted him and gave him a tired smile as she waved him over.

"If you'll excuse me," Ahsoka's annoyed voice cut through the rising clamor as Zeb stopped by her side. "My partner is here, so we will be taking our leave."

"Fulcrum, we have told you, this mission-"

"Is not need-to-know basis," Ahsoka's cold tone stopped the male human mid-protest. "I am authorized to bring along recruits on any missions as I see fit, Commander Saardenz. This authority was granted by Senator Organa himself. If you have any complaints, take them to him."

With that, Ahsoka turned and stalked towards the shuttle. Zeb followed her up the ramp, wondering what had made her so upset when she was usually rather calm and level-headed. Ahsoka sat down roughly in the pilot's seat, angrily flipping the switch that closed the ramp and effectively shutting out the group she had been arguing with. As Ahsoka steered the craft towards open space she plugged in the hyperspace coordinates, hitting the buttons a bit harder than was actually necessary.

"What's wrong?" Zeb asked her, taking the co-pilot seat. Ahsoka glanced over at him and sighed before shaking her head dismissively.

"Nothing I can't deal with. It's complicated," she told him wearily, leaning back and watching the stars blur as the ship entered hyperspace. "Anyway, I'm sure you have questions about the mission."

Zeb could tell she was evading the question, but he let it go for now. Whatever the problem was, she obviously didn't want to talk about it, and he respected her decision and trusted that she knew what she was doing.

"Well, yeah. I mean, I don't even know what the objective is in the firs' place," Zeb pointed out.

"That's true," Ahsoka conceded with a grin. "I guess I'll start with the basics. As I told you before, we're going to a cantina on Nar Shaddaa. It's called Bu Tanee-Koumuan Hot, which translates to The Never-Empty Cup in Huttese."

"Wait, you speak Huttese?" Zeb asked. Ahsoka looked at him strangely, as if to ask why he _didn't_ speak Huttese.

"Well, yes," she said. "It's one of the most commonly spoken languages in the galaxy, so it's a very useful one to know. Do you… do you not speak Huttese?" When Zeb shook his head, Ahsoka just shrugged and turned her gaze back to the stars. "I guess I'll do the talking; I'll translate for you.

"Anyway, the cantina is owned and run by Vatargg the Hutt. I've spoken to him before, though never in person, and I've found he's not nearly as bad as others of his species. Although he's technically a crime boss, he's more honorable to an extent than the average Hutt. Most importantly, he harbors a deep hatred for the Empire. However, he's got a pretty nasty temper with a mean streak to match; he tends to get revenge on his enemies and those he believes have wronged him in… creative ways."

"Why are we goin' after him then?" Zeb asked with slight disgust. "Why does it matter if he's against the Empire? He's still a no-good, slimy gangster who'll probably wind up stabbin' us in the back no matter what." Ahsoka sighed and twisted in her chair to face him.

"The Senate has considered that possibility, but they've concluded that the benefits outweigh the risks. You see, our mission is to persuade Vatargg to side with the Rebellion. He's supplied us with useful tools and information in the past, but we want to consolidate our relationship to ensure that the Rebellion will have a wealthy, powerful ally to call on in times of crisis," she explained. Zeb noticed that she never mentioned her personal beliefs in her delicately-put explanation.

"Well, what do _you_ think of 'im?" he asked her.

"It doesn't matter what I think-" she began with a frown on her face.

"It does to me," Zeb interjected. Ahsoka stopped, surprised, and Zeb took his chance. "I mean, this guy obviously isn' nice. I know you tried to soften it, but he's still a crime lord, 'honorable' or not. It seems to me the Rebellion shouldn' even be dealin' with this guy, let alone allyin' with him. Don' Jedi have some sorta Code about this illegal kinda stuff?"

"If you really want to know my opinion…" Ahsoka began, trailing off as if hesitant to reveal her thoughts. Zeb nodded and waited for her to continue. "I suppose we do, or did; the Jedi are, were, opposed to extortion, drug-peddling, gang violence, and the many other things that fester and permeate on Nar Shaddaa. We believed in protecting the weak and pursuing justice, and a Jedi would never have allied themselves with someone like Vatargg. That's what I was arguing with the Commanders about," she explained to him.

"This mission is against everything I was taught to believe and to fight for; it goes against all of my Jedi teachings. But," she sighed. "As much as I oppose this partnership, I can't deny that the Rebellion is young and needs more support if it is to flourish. The only reason I agreed to take this mission was because of that fact, and because I know that Vatargg would never rat us out to the Empire."

Zeb considered what she had said. He agreed with her, that no good could come from this deal in the end, but had to grudgingly admit that she made several good points. Zeb wondered what they were going to do, exactly, once they arrived on Nar Shaddaa. How would they go about asking a Hutt to join the Rebellion? In his experience, those slugs never did anything unless there was something in it for them.

"We're here," Ahsoka's voice jerked Zeb from his thoughts and he followed Ahsoka's pointing finger, laying eyes on the so-called Smuggler's Moon for the first time. Zeb's first impression was that the infamous moon was smaller than he had imagined. As their shuttle grew closer to the bustling planet, he was able to make out tall buildings and other structures.

Ahsoka maneuvered the craft towards the nearest spaceport, lowering the ship to the ground with a gentle thump. She shut down the ship and stood up to look at Zeb.

"Well, are you ready?" she asked.

"Let's do this," Zeb said, pounding his fist into his open palm with a grin. Ahsoka laughed and led the way out of the shuttle.

After a short taxi ride from the spaceport, Ahsoka led them to a cluster of brightly lit, connected buildings that ranged in sizes from only one level to several floors high.

"This is Vatargg's Court," Ahsoka told Zeb quietly. "His apartment building, which he rents out;" she gestured to a skinny building that was several stories high, "an emporium that sells a variety of items, from mundane foodstuffs to more illegal substances;" a short, fat thing that wasn't nearly as brightly-lit as the others, "and his cantina, where he spends most of his time and conducts his business," which was a brightly lit building with two floors.

"What about that one?" Zeb asked, jabbing a finger at the biggest, best-looking building of the lot.

"That's his palace, where he lives," Ahsoka replied. They had reached the cantina's entrance and Ahsoka stopped in front of the tall Trandoshan bouncer. He glared at her threateningly and hissed something in a language Zeb didn't recognize. Ahsoka responded to him calmly and they spoke for a few seconds before the Trandoshan stepped to the side and let them pass.

Zeb had certainly been in his fair share of cantinas and bars, but he didn't recall ever being in a Hutt-owned one. The cantina area was rather large, with long bars along the sides and a space in the middle that was filled with tables. In the back, two barely dressed Twi'lek women were dancing in front of a raised dais that sported a haphazard pile of treasures, a decent-sized buffet table, and a large cushioned throne upon which Vatargg lounged, watching the two Twi'leks in front of him and being fed Jogan fruit by a Togruta woman.

Ahsoka strode confidently towards Vatargg's throne, ignoring the looks sent her way. Zeb followed, flattening his ears in an attempt to block out the comments being thrown at her as she passed.

"Hey, babe! What's a pretty thing like you doing here?"

"Well, lookit that boys! The piffer's **(1)** got herself a bodyguard."

"Hey, cheeka **(2)** , why don't you have a drink with me, huh?"

"Why don't ya slow down, leeah chik **(3)**. I'll show ya my equipment."

Zeb growled lowly, stepping closer to Ahsoka and glaring around. He may not recognize the Huttese words the sleemos were using, but he certainly knew the slang terms he heard. Ahsoka stopped and he nearly ran into her, only just managing to stop himself in time.

"Sorry," he muttered, shifting uneasily and meeting her questioning gaze. "It's just that these one-eyed egg-sucking sons of slime-devils are treatin' you like some sorta, I dunno, some kinda kriffin'-"

"Zeb," Ahsoka's quiet voice cut through his tirade and she placed a hand on his shoulder. Zeb glared at her sulkily, but gave way under her disapproving look. "Just ignore them," she told him. "And when we have our audience with Vatargg, please let me do the talking. Don't do anything to upset him." She squeezed his shoulder and smiled encouragingly at him before starting for the throne once again.

When they reached the dais, Ahsoka waited patiently for the dancers to finish before approaching Vatargg and dipping her head respectfully. Zeb followed her closely and stood just behind her and to the side, staring around at the many patrons and treasures of the cantina and scanning for any threats.

"Bo shuda, mah pateesa Ahsoka. Mee cankhola wohot tee woy mee dauag choiala," Vatargg rumbled. "Coo ne peedunkey uba gee koose?" **(4)** The Hutt waved a short arm at Zeb and it was all he could do to refrain from growling at the over-sized pile of bantha dung; he knew an insult when he heard one, even if he didn't understand the language. The only thing that stopped him was Ahsoka's restraining hand on his arm and the thought of her asking him to let her do the talking.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Cakanle Bo **(5)** ," Ahsoka responded. To anyone else, her response would sound distant yet polite, but Zeb could hear the frigid undertones. "This is my partner, Garazeb Orrelios. He graciously offered to join me on this mission in an effort to assist the Alliance."

"Ohoho, Jee neu. Bo shuda, hee, Garazeb Orrelios, cohkamhanonka bai bu ji muna Ahsoka Tano," the Hutt chuckled, waving the Togruta slave carrying the tray of fruit away lazily. "Ateema, bai yanee. Haku koose uba bai mah Bacenbie?" **(6)**

"We have come on the behalf of the Alliance," Ahsoka said. "They propose a mutually beneficial agreement: to combine our resources by entering into an official partnership."

"Haku wohot bu Kankahuesa gee bai mo mi du kankahchonha che mah bargon?" the Hutt asked in his low, growling voice. His beady eyes were tracking Ahsoka's every movement with an intensity that made Zeb want to hit him. Ahsoka, on the other hand, seemed not to notice the uncomfortable scrutiny. "Haku apoya nei whao bu Kankahuesa logna? Haku chakaph caiot uba mo doi bu Kacmahea baa maianza?" **(7)**

"We can't promise any definite protection from the Empire," Ahsoka admitted reluctantly. "However, if the Alliance wins, your Court will no longer suffer under their oppressive reign. I cannot make any promises about the Alliance's behavior after the defeat of the Empire, nor can I say for sure that this partnership will last." Ahsoka stood quite still after her speech, watching the Hutt as he considered her words.

"Jee katka panteueza pin cay mah gainlei," the Hutt said after a long pause. "Jot ten fet cua baieya." **(8)**

"As you wish, Cakanle Bo," Ahsoka replied stiffly, bowing her head once more before turning away from Vatargg. She silently led the way to a vacant table that was tucked into a corner. A Mirialan waitress stopped by their table and asked a question in Huttese. Ahsoka responded before glancing at Zeb.

"Would you like anything?" the waitress asked him in heavily-accented Basic.

"I'll have a Cometduster, please," Zeb told her. She nodded before typing something into the 'pad she held and moving on to the next table. Zeb glanced at Ahsoka, debating whether or not to ask her for a translation of the conversation. Ahsoka leaned back in her seat and propped her feet up on the table.

"Let me guess," she said suddenly. "You want a translation, don't you? I'm sorry, I completely forgot."

"It's alrigh', no need to apologize," Zeb assured her. "You've had lots on your mind. I understand, so there's nothin' to worry about." She smiled gratefully at him.

"Thank you for being here," she said softly, looking at her feet on the table. "I… well, I was dreading coming here alone. I really appreciate what you've done for me." Zeb blushed furiously, scratching his head and fidgeting in his seat.

"Oh, don' you worry, I was gettin' bored anyway," he muttered, embarrassed. "I mean, I can only handle the kids for so long, y'know?"

"Anyway," Ahsoka continued. Zeb didn't know if it was his own imagination or the lighting or what, but he could've sworn he saw a faint blush on her cheeks. "Basically, Vatargg wanted to know what was in the deal for him, and what the long-term effects would be. He's debating the issue with his advisers right now," she told him, taking her boots off the table when the waitress approached carrying their drinks.

"So what now?" Zeb asked, picking up his 'duster with a nod of thanks.

"Now we wait and hope."

* * *

 **Huttese Translations:**

 _ **(1)**_ **derogatory term for a pretty woman**

 _ **(2) "**_ **woman"**

 _ **(3) "**_ **pretty girl"**

 _ **(4)**_ **"Greetings, my darling Ahsoka. Your picture does not do your beauty justice." "Who is this punk you've brought?"**

 _ **(5)**_ **"** **Mighty One"**

 _ **(6)**_ **"I see. Greetings, then, Garazeb Orrelios, partner to the lovely Ahsoka Tano." "Now, to business. What brings you to my Court?"**

 _ **(7)**_ **"What does the Alliance have to offer me in exchange for my services?" "What happens to me if the Alliance wins? What protection can you offer from the Empire's retaliation?"**

 _ **(8)**_ **"I must consult with my council. Leave us until further notice."**


	7. Confessions

_**A/N: Hey guys! I'm planning on finishing this story up in only a few chapters, so we're close to the finish now. This chapter is fairly short considering my most recent chapters so I apologize in advance. Update schedule is random and I post only when I have the next chapter written out.**_ _ **As a side note, I was wondering if I should change the rating to T due to PG-13 romance. I will never write smut, but some of this chapter is rated 13+ and I don't want people who don't like that stuff to be offended/exposed.**_ _ **A** **s usual, comments, questions, reviews, and helpful criticism are always appreciated.**_

 _ **(This chapter may be rated T for 13+ romance. You have been warned.)**_

* * *

Quite a bit of time passed and Zeb grew more and more anxious. He had long since finished his drink and now sat in awkward silence, shooting furtive glances at Ahsoka that he was sure that she hadn't noticed yet. He fidgeted, unsure what to do.

"Don' you think they've been _consulting_ long enough?" He asked gruffly after an uncomfortable pause. Ahsoka jumped slightly and looked at him before turning back to the crowd with a shrug of her shoulders.

"That's not for me to decide," Ahsoka responded in a quiet voice. Zeb growled under his breath and Ahsoka gave him an offended look. "What?" she asked sharply. Zeb snorted.

"Nothin'," Zeb grunted, shifting in his chair irritably. He met her accusatory gaze and sighed. "Look, I'm sorry," he told her. "I guess I'm just, I don' know, nervous. This is new to me and I can' even speak the language an' I'm worried somethin's gonna go wrong an' you'll get hurt with only me as backup an' I -"

"It's okay," Ahsoka cut him off with a guilty look. "I'm sorry, I didn't even think about how you might be feeling thrust into a complicated situation like this. The mission is almost complete," her voice lowered and she looked away from him again. "You don't have to come on any others with me if you don't want to."

"But I do!" Zeb interjected. "Why wouldn' I want to? Sure, I'm a bit outta my depth, but I don' mind s'long as you're with me." He realized what he had said only after the words had left his lips and clapped his hands over his mouth, but the damage had been done. Ahsoka was looking at him with wide-eyed disbelief and suspicion.

"I jus' mean that I can count on you to watch my back," Zeb backtracked quickly, scrabbling for a quick recovery even as his face exploded with fire. "Like, I respect you, I mean, and I enjoy your company- er, I, um, I mean, I think you're pretty cool. Not pretty, well, not that you're ugly, you're beautiful, I just… wait, no, I-"

"Zeb, are you… do you…" Ahsoka faltered, a strange expression on her face as she tried to find the right words. "I mean… I know you asked me out earlier, but I thought… I suppose I didn't think anything of it, really, I just…" Zeb's face was now so hot that it was spreading to his drooping ears and he prayed that he would melt into the floor and away from this uncomfortable conversation. To his surprise, Ahsoka's cheeks were splotched with a dark orange-red blush that was spreading like wildfire and she looked just as embarrassed as he felt.

"Oh, for- Ahsoka, I'm in love with you!" Zeb snapped, his tone far more agitated than he'd intended. "I think you're gorgeous an' I have for awhile but I didn' know how to tell you or if you even shared my feelings and I couldn' stand jus' sittin' there anymore so I came on this mission to get to know you and now…" He looked away from her and mumbled, "Now I've messed everythin' up." There was silence between the two for a few agonizing seconds before Ahsoka spoke up.

"You didn't ruin anything, Zeb," she said quietly. Zeb snorted and Ahsoka, her voice slightly husky, continued. "You didn't! Please, Zeb, look at me." Zeb grunted and reluctantly turned to face her, readying a snappy retort. The last thing he expected was Ahsoka's mouth on his.

Any rational thoughts fled Zeb's mind when he felt her soft lips pressed against his. He stiffened with shock that quickly gave way to passion as he responded to her automatically. Ahsoka grew closer, her kisses becoming desperate, and Zeb linked his arms around her waist, pulling her so close that she was practically in his lap while simultaneously pushing her down so she practically lay on the table. He reached up and ran his fingers lightly down her montrals, rubbing fiercely, almost frantically against her lekku while she traced circles on his back, pressing her body against his and holding him down against her. His frantic hands slowed to begin caressing her lekku and a deep crooning sound began deep in his throat.

After what felt like forever but was in reality less than ten seconds, Ahsoka pulled away slightly, her hands resting on Zeb's waist. Zeb pulled back as well, grinning like an idiot before laying his forehead on Ahsoka's, his arms looped around her shoulders and his hands resting on her lekku, gently stroking. Ahsoka closed her eyes in pleasure, her body unconsciously angling towards Zeb's, and she let out a soft, breathless laugh.

"Force, I've been wantin' to do that for way too long," Zeb rasped, leaning forward and grazing his lips along Ahsoka's jaw. She shivered slightly, her mouth spreading in a wide smile and opening slightly, before she sighed and pulled herself up to talk to him, still half in his lap.

"I'm sorry if that was sudden," she told him, her voice breathy and her mouth still close to his. Zeb watched her lips, rubbing her back in a soothing motion.

"I don' mind," Zeb murmured, his free hand coming up to brush against her cheek. Zeb leaned closer to her once more, watching as she closed her eyes in anticipation and felt her go limp in his arms when he kissed the hollow of her throat. He trailed kisses up her neck, eliciting small whimpers, before kissing her mouth deeply and strongly, acutely aware of her below him, every spot of contact burning like fire.

Zeb was so focused on Ahsoka that he had forgotten where they were. He distantly wondered what they were doing and how far they'd go even as he groped along her back for her lekku once more. His question was answered by the door bursting open to admit a rain of blaster fire.


	8. Catastrophe

_**A/N: Sorry about the wait, guys. School started back up after Christmas Break and I've been busy. So, here's the second-longest chapter to date. As a side note, I really hope that none of the characters have been written and/or seem OOC... If you don't think I've got the feeling of these characters, please, please tell me so I can improve! As usual, comments, questions, reviews, and helpful criticism are always appreciated.**_

 _ **[EDIT 1/9/2017: Fixed some errors and cleaned up some wording.]**_

 _ **(Possible trigger warning for OC death, blood, canon-compliant violence, and injury. Nothing too serious, but I figured I'd better be safe than sorry.)**_

* * *

Zeb and Ahsoka jerked apart quickly and ducked to avoid the blaster fire. Ahsoka kicked their table onto its side and yanked Zeb down behind the improvised barricade beside her.

"Who're these nerfherders?" Zeb growled, grabbing his bo-rifle and aiming it at the door. Beside him Ahsoka shrugged and shoved a lopsided chair next to their table, building the barricade. The mercenaries, bounty hunters, pirates, and criminals of many different species were flooding in through the doors, shooting innocent bar patrons and Vatargg's men alike. Zeb snarled and levered himself up, peering over the table and taking aim at a particularly savage looking Nikto pirate who was standing too close to their hiding spot for comfort. As Zeb lined up the shot the Nikto turned and spotted him. With a feral smile, the Nikto started towards Zeb, pulling a pistol and vibroknife out of hidden pockets in his clothes. Two things happened just as Zeb pulled the trigger: Ahsoka grabbed his shoulder and yanked him down, causing the shot to go wild; and something warm passed over his head with a whooshing sound. Zeb wobbled and dropped his bo-rifle before whirling to face Ahsoka angrily.

"What'd you do that for?!" he snapped. Ahsoka glared at him as she broke a leg off of a nearby barstool for a makeshift weapon.

"If I hadn't, you'd have a hole in your head," she retorted. Her eyes shifted to something behind him and Zeb suppressed a groan. He spun around to face the oncoming Nikto, fumbling for the bo-rifle at his feet. Before he could raise his weapon, however, Ahsoka had brushed by him, aiming for the brutish mercenary and holding her barstool-leg weapon firmly.

Spotting movement out of the corner of his eye, Zeb ducked as a blaster bolt whistled past his head before returning fire, keeping one eye on Ahsoka. Not that she needed it, though; she was doing perfectly fine, holding her own against the towering Nikto. She blocked his forceful blow, using her weapon to knock his arm aside and leave him vulnerable to attack. As the pirate stumbled, trying to recover, Ahsoka kicked the blaster right out of his hand, sending it skidding across the floor.

By this time, Zeb had taken out his opponent and was concentrating once again on Ahsoka's battle. He watched as the Nikto backed off and the two combatants began to circle each other slowly. Ahsoka suddenly lunged forward and swung at the Nikto, attempting to disarm him. She feinted to the left and, when the Nikto braced himself for impact, she turned quickly and smashed the broken end of her weapon onto the Nikto's knife-wielding hand. He howled in pain and dropped the vibroknife, clutching his bleeding hand. Ahsoka backpedaled quickly, trying to get away, but she wasn't fast enough; the Nikto lashed out with a powerful kick that struck Ahsoka square in the stomach. Zeb watched her fall as time seemed to slow down, allowing him plenty of time to see the table behind her. Zeb could only watch in horror as the back of her head hit the edge of the table with an audible, resounding crack and the barstool leg slipped from her limp fingers to clatter to the floor.

"Ahsoka!" Zeb yelled, hopping the table and starting towards her. He didn't get very far before a fierce-looking human bounty hunter wielding two serrated knives blocked his way. Zeb let out a feral snarl and lunged, ducking the human's frantic swings and slamming the electric end of his bo-rifle into the human's abdomen. As his opponent dropped to the floor Zeb looked up, trying to spot Ahsoka. He finally saw her prone form and the Nikto looming over her, his knife raised above his head in his bloody fist and a maniacal grin on his face.

"Get away from her!" Zeb bellowed, taking the last few feet in a single bound and barreling into the pirate. He swung his bo-rifle, driving the Nikto back with his ferocious swipes, keeping his body between the scum and Ahsoka all the while.

"Out of my way, Lasat," the Nikto hissed, his eyes narrowed. Zeb readied himself for a fight, sliding his feet into a stable fighting stance and bracing himself. The pirate leaped forward, stopped in mid-air with a look of comical shock, and abruptly flew backwards to slam into the far wall and slide to the floor, unconscious. Zeb froze in surprise for a few seconds before spinning around to see Ahsoka lowering her hand and struggling to her feet with a grunt. She pressed a hand to the back of her montrals with a wince.

"Ouch," she muttered, drawing her hand back in front of her and staring at the crimson blood staining her palm. She blinked and looked at Zeb with a bewildered expression, stated matter-of-factly, "Well, that's not good," and toppled over in a dead faint.

Zeb cursed and lunged toward her, barely catching her before she hit the ground. He carefully turned her over, searching for the source of the blood: a long gash on her lekku, right around the base where it met her montrals. Zeb felt around in his pockets and pulled out the bandages he always carried in his pockets. When he turned back to wrap her lekku he met Ahsoka's glazed, half-open eyes.

"D'you always carry that 'round witchu?" she slurred, trying for a weak grin. Zeb smiled grimly in response as he worked.

"'Course. Have you even _met_ Ezra? The kid's a trouble magnet if I've ever seen one. Besides, you never know when you migh' need it," he told her with fake cheer. He finally finished wrapping the bandage and began to pull it tight, murmuring apologies when she winced that she waved off shakily. When the bandage was nice and snug, Zeb helped her sit up and peered at her eyes, wondering if Togrutas could even get concussions from montral and lekku injuries. _Apparently, yes,_ Zeb thought, watching her blink blearily and try to focus on his face. She swayed where she sat, her eyelids fluttering and beginning to droop.

"Alrigh', guess it's up to me," Zeb muttered to himself, scooping her up carefully so that he was cradling her bridal-style. Zeb looked around, taking in the carnage around him. He saw Vatargg's men lying dead on the floor and looked back, trying to spot the slug himself. To his dismay, he found him; he was sitting on his now-bloody throne, his head riddled with holes and his vacant eyes staring at nothing

Zeb swallowed and looked away quickly, weaving between the dying fights, heading towards the door with Ahsoka in his arms. He glanced down at her as he ducked out of the cantina and flattened his ears in worry. Her eyes were closed and she wasn't responding. Zeb slipped into an alleyway and set her down gently, shaking her shoulder carefully in an attempt to wake her.

"Ahsoka. Ahsoka, wake up," he said nervously. To his immense relief, she let out a groan and her eyes fluttered open, hazily meeting his.

"Zeb? Wha's goin'on?" she whispered, trying to sit up without much success. Zeb shushed her and quickly told her what had happened and what he'd seen. "Oh, great," she muttered, shifting slightly and wincing in pain. "We've gotta get back," she told him urgently, redoubling her efforts to stand. "We've gotta get back… to the Rebellion…"

"An' we will, but you can' even stand," Zeb told her, pushing her back down firmly. "I'll have to carry you, okay?" At her tired nod he picked her up once more, leaving the alley and waving down a passing taxi.

Once Zeb had made sure that Ahsoka was situated comfortably, laying on several of the shuttle's fold-down chairs, he took off, plugging in the fleet's coordinates and sitting back as they plunged into hyperspace. With a half-groan, half-sigh, Zeb leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples wearily.

"Are you 'kay?" Ahsoka spoke faintly, her words less slurred than before. She was laying on her side with her eyes closed. Zeb sighed again and moved to the floor beside her.

"I'm fine," Zeb said dismissively. "How're you holdin' up?" Ahsoka cracked one blue eye open slightly, regarding him before shrugging and letting it close once more.

"Been worse," she said with a shaky smile. When Zeb didn't respond, Ahsoka forced both her eyes open and turned her head to face him fully, a frown on her face. Zeb met her eyes and reached out to stroke her forehead. "You did great out there," Ahsoka insisted, catching his hand in hers and squeezing it. "Thank you." Her grateful smile lit up her tired, pained face.

"For what?" Zeb asked, his face reddening.

"For coming with me," Ahsoka squinted up at him, still holding his hand. "For being there. For… for everything."

"You're welcome," Zeb murmured, pulling her hand to his lips and kissing her fingers. Ahsoka's eyes slipped shut, the wrinkles in her forehead smoothing out, and settled into a more comfortable position with a noise of content. Zeb watched her, running his thumb along her knuckles. "You're gonna be fine," he told her quietly. "I swear I'll never let anything happen to you." Zeb kissed her knuckles and gently tucked her arm beside her sleeping form, stroking her head and standing up. Ahsoka smiled in her sleep.


	9. Finale

_**A/N: Hello guys! Well, here it is: the final chapter of Hand-to-Heart Combat! (Sorry if the end is a bit weak. I'm not good at endings.) I can't believe that it's been over a year. Also, this is my first multi-chapter fic/story I've ever finished! I wanted to give a huge thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited, reviewed, and even just taken the time to read this. It truly means the world to me. As a side note, school's out! Hooray for summer! However, this means that I'll be working more (four days a week, now! Used to be three). This, and writer's block and random inspiration, means that update times for DGTC(IDI) will continue to be sporadic. Thank you soooo much, everyone! I love you guys so dearly!**_

 _ **As always, comments, questions, reviews, and helpful criticism are highly appreciated.**_

* * *

"Spectre-4 to _Ghost_ , come in _Ghost_."

As their shuttle grew nearer to the fleet, Zeb had begun trying to contact his crew. There had been no answer so far, but he had only tried twice. As he waited for a response, Zeb looked back at Ahsoka. She was sleeping where he had left her and hadn't stirred yet. Not quite sure if that was good or bad, Zeb was debating whether or not to wake her when Hera's crackly voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Spectre-4, this is the _Ghost_. Was the mission successful? Commander Sato-"

"What happened?" Sabine's excited voice cut through Hera's. "Did you two kiss?" Zeb felt his face heat up and thanked Ashla that Ahsoka wasn't awake to see him blushing like a kid talking about their first crush.

"Sabine!" Hera snapped. "Now is not the time!" Zeb heard Sabine mutter something in the background and promised himself that he would get back at her later. "Commander Sato wants the full report," Hera continued, her voice raised slightly in an effort to drown out Sabine's grumbles.

"Can you patch me through?" Zeb asked her.

"Give me a sec and I'll put him through to your ship's holoprojector," she responded. The _Ghost_ 's connection shut off and Zeb watched as the holoprojector hummed to life.

Commander Sato's flickering figure appeared on the small projector, his no-nonsense expression evident despite the sub-par connection.

"Ah, yes, greetings, Garazeb. Where is Ahsoka?" Zeb blinked, taken aback by Sato's directness. "You're back sooner than expected. Was the mission a success?"

"Uh… not… not exactly," Zeb hedged, glancing back at the still-sleeping Ahsoka and desperately wishing that she was awake; she knew how to handle this kind of situation, not to mention this had been her mission to begin with. Zeb turned back to Commander Sato. "No, Commander, the mission wasn' a success."

"And Ahsoka?" Sato interrupted, frowning worriedly.

"She's okay," Zeb assured him quickly. "There was a fight an' she hit her head. I think she's got a concussion, but I'm not sure. She's sleepin' back here," he added, gesturing vaguely behind him. Sato nodded, but the worry didn't leave his face.

"Very well. I'll inform a medic and have them prep a room for her. I'm sure you're correct in your diagnosis, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Now, as for the mission…"

"It wasn' her fault!" Zeb interjected. "She didn' do anythin' wrong. I'm not quite sure wha' happened, but she was amazing. In fact, she-"

"Zeb," Commander Sato raised a hand and Zeb shut his mouth with a snap. "She is not in any trouble. Neither are you," he added, the ghost of a smile flitting across his face momentarily. "I merely ask for the basics. Once you return to the fleet and Ahsoka has been cleared you may give the full report."

"'Course," Zeb said, slightly embarrassed. He cleared his throat and continued with more confidence. "We got there with no problem and everythin' was goin' fine. Ahsoka had talked to the Hutt an' we were waitin' for him to finish 'consulting' when this group of gangsters an' mercenaries burst in an' started shootin' everythin' in sight. We only jus' managed to escape."

"And Vatargg?" Commander Sato asked.

"Dead. I saw'im lyin' on his throne," Zeb told him. Commander Sato nodded and turned to speak to someone Zeb couldn't see. Zeb fidgeted slightly and risked a peek back at Ahsoka.

"Thank you," Commander Sato said. Zeb jerked back around to face him so fast he cricked his neck. "Once you dock a medical droid will take Ahsoka to the medbay. I will send for you for the mission report, whenever that is. Commander Sato, out." The holoprojector clicked off, leaving Zeb in the overwhelming silence with an injured Ahsoka and a sore neck.

Zeb let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and rubbed his neck furiously. Letting his hand drop to his side, Zeb glanced around the small shuttle, suddenly unsure of what to do. After a few seconds of hesitation he decided to check on Ahsoka even though he could see she was still sleeping. The need to move, to _do_ something was too overwhelming and Zeb knew he wouldn't be able to sit still unless he busied himself with some task or another.

Ahsoka stirred as Zeb approached her and forced one eye open. Zeb smiled at her.

"Sorry, didn' meant to wake ya," he said quietly.

"'S okay," Ahsoka responded, trying to sit up with a wince. "Wha's goin' on? An' why're the lights so bright?" she added, squinting at Zeb.

"They're not…" Zeb said slowly, peering worriedly at her face. "But I can turn them down for you if you want." Ahsoka nodded carefully and Zeb made his way over to the control panel. He had just located the lights and had successfully dimmed them when he heard Ahsoka begin to heave behind him.

Zeb grabbed the nearest container he could find and rushed to her side, thrusting the item, which turned out to be a helmet, under Ahsoka's face just in time to prevent a mess. He vaguely wondered whose helmet he had grabbed even while he held her lekku back from her face, murmuring soothingly to her.

Ahsoka finally fell back with a small cough, looking utterly miserable and shivering violently. Zeb set the helmet aside, careful not to let it tip, before leaning forward and rubbing Ahsoka's arm.

"Sorry," she said, blinking woefully at him.

"S'fine," Zeb assured her. "I'm gonna see if I can find some towels an' blankets for you," Zeb added, getting to his feet and making his way to the cargo hold of the shuttle (which was really just a small cabinet in the back with various odds and ends shoved in and forgotten about). Luckily, there were several small hand towels and two worn, threadbare blankets perched on the top of the haphazard pile. Zeb gathered the towels and the blankets into his arms and trotted quickly back to Ahsoka.

"Here ya are," he announced quietly, kneeling down beside her. Ahsoka forced her eyes back open and stared at him, seemingly confused about something. Zeb carefully lifted her head and laid out a towel beneath it to cover the seats in case she threw up again. Taking a second towel, Zeb placed it under her cheek and gently lowered her head back down; this would (hopefully) serve as further protection against a future incident.

"Zeb?" Ahsoka's voice was louder than she had intended, judging by the surprised look on her face. She blinked, stirring slightly and moving her arms as if to raise them to her face before quitting halfway and letting them flop back down.

"Ahsoka? Wha's wrong?" Zeb asked, trying to tuck her arms back against her body and into a more comfortable position. Ahsoka just stared at him with wide eyes.

"Are we almost there?" Ahsoka asked; this time, her voice was so quiet that Zeb could barely hear it.

"W-What? What d'you mean?"

"To… to…" Ahsoka trailed off, her eyes focusing on something behind Zeb. He turned to look, but there was nothing there. Concerned, Zeb turned back to Ahsoka. She was now staring at him, but her eyes were unfocused and glossy.

"Ahsoka?" Zeb prompted, nudging her gently. She jumped, her eyes refocusing, and tried to sit up. "No, no, Ahsoka-" Zeb grabbed her shoulders and tried to get her to lay back down, but she was surprisingly strong for someone who was so obviously out of it.

"Are we almost to… to Nar Shaddaa?" she asked, not noticing Zeb's hands on her shoulders at first. When she did, she stopped struggling and looked at them in surprise before looking at Zeb. "What're you doing?" she asked.

"We already went t' Nar Shaddaa," Zeb told her. "We're headin' back to the Fleet." When Ahsoka stared at him uncomprehendingly he added, "An' you hit your head. You've got a concussion, I think. You should probably be restin'."

Ahsoka just stared at him, her eyes wide. Zeb shifted uncomfortably and smiled awkwardly at her. She didn't move. Zeb coughed pointedly, but Ahsoka didn't even flinch.

"Okay, this is gettin' creepy," he told her. Ahsoka just leaned closer. She hadn't blinked yet, and Zeb was thoroughly freaked out. "Are you okay?" Zeb tried to lean back, but Ahsoka followed him. Her eyes were locked on his lips and Zeb had only a second to think _Oh, crap_ before she lunged at him. He yelped in shock, but the noise was muffled by Ahsoka's lips on his. They collided painfully, but Ahsoka didn't seem to notice. Zeb carefully grabbed her arms and pushed her back. She didn't fight him, but that didn't make Zeb feel any better.

"Hey, wha' was that about?" he asked her, peering into her eyes.

"I dunno…" Ahsoka hummed, her eyes drooping. She smiled at him and said, "Zeb, has anyone ever told you your fur is beautiful?"

 _Ashla save me…_ Zeb thought as Ahsoka tried to snuggle into him, muttering "Soft, warm, pretty" over and over again. He swore that no one else would ever find out about this as he coaxed her to lay back down. _This is gonna be a looooong trip…  
_

OoOoOoOoO

By the time the shuttle dropped out of hyperspace, Zeb had managed to get Ahsoka to lay down and she had drifted off. Unfortunately, the only way to get her to rest was to lay down on the cot beside her. Zeb grunted and gently untangled himself from Ahsoka, who had wrapped herself around him before promptly falling asleep. Ahsoka blinked her eyes open and sleepily watched as Zeb stood up.

"Hey," she said quietly, sitting up with a wince. Zeb gave her a smile. "What happened?"

"You hit your head," Zeb responded as he landed the ship.

"Oh," Ahsoka murmured. There was an awkward pause while Zeb shut down the engine before Ahsoka spoke up again. "Um… why were we cuddling?"

Zeb flushed furiously and rubbed his head. To his mingled surprise and relief, Ahsoka was blushing just as hard.

"W-well, you, uh, you weren't goin' back to sleep," he told her. "An', um, the only way to make you lie down was to, er, lay down with you."

"I see," Ahsoka responded. Her face was bright red and she avoided Zeb's eyes. He cleared his throat nervously. Neither spoke for several seconds, sitting there in uncomfortable silence and not looking at each other, when a loud banging noise brought them crashing back to reality.

"Hello? Are you okay in there?" an unfamiliar voice called, followed by more loud knocking. Zeb quickly hit the button to lower the ramp.

"Yeah, sorry," he called. "We're comin'." He held out his hand and helped Ahsoka up. She grimaced as she got to her feet, swaying slightly, and put a hand on her forehead. "You alright?" Zeb asked her.

"Yeah, just hurts a bit," she said with a smile. She let go of Zeb's hand and slowly made her way down the ramp. Zeb followed, watching her carefully, but she seemed to have enough control.

"Commander," she greeted Sato, who stood at the base of the ramp, with a small nod.

"Ahsoka," Sato nodded in response. He glanced at Zeb and nodded slightly. Surprised, Zeb just shrugged. Sato turned back to Ahsoka, who was being examined by a med droid. "I'm glad to see you're okay. Your report can wait until after you are cleared by the droid. Until then, please, get some rest. And Garazeb," he looked over at Zeb with the faintest of smiles. "Your crew has expressed their eagerness to see you. I suggest you go join them. I'll call you for the briefing later."

"Yessir," Zeb saluted quickly. He glanced once more at Ahsoka as she was led away. She looked back and gave him a fleeting smile before disappearing from view. Satisfied that she would be okay, Zeb trotted off to find his crew.

He hadn't been walking for more than a few seconds when his crew found him. Hera turned the corner in front of him, Kanan by her side. She smiled warmly upon seeing him and waved happily.

"Commander Sato told me you'd arrived," Hera said as Zeb jogged up to them. She rested her hand on his arm gently as Kanan grinned and bumped Zeb's shoulder with his. Zeb returned the gesture, feeling guilt rise in his chest. He had meant to contact Hera again after his talk with Commander Sato, but he'd totally forgotten. Hera would have obviously gotten the details from him, and she would have been worried sick. Zeb hated to make his crew worry.

"How's Ahsoka?" Kanan asked. Hera squeezed Zeb's arm gently before moving forward slightly to take the lead.

"She's fine," Zeb said. Heat rose in his cheeks as the memory of everything that happened swam through Zeb's mind, but he pushed it away and prayed that they wouldn't notice. Luckily, they didn't seem to.

"What about you, Zeb?" Hera asked. "Are you okay?"

Zeb had no chance to respond because they had just stepped foot on the _Ghost_ and were ambushed by Sabine and Ezra. The two teens threw themselves at Zeb and grabbed his arms, grinning up at him maniacally.

"Zeb! You're back!" Ezra cheered, holding Zeb's left arm in a death grip. Chopper rolled up, whistling angrily, and jabbed at Ezra with one of his arms. When Ezra ignored him, Chopper instead began bashing his head repeatedly against Zeb's legs. Sabine, meanwhile, was literally hanging off of Zeb's right arm.

"Did you two make out?" Sabine asked loudly in Zeb's ear. Zeb growled good-naturedly and tried to shake her off. She clung to his arm like a burr, crowing, "Did you?! Did you kiss her?! Did you tell her you love her?!"

"Okay, that's enough," Hera ordered. Chopper rolled back as Ezra dropped to the floor before jabbing the kid in the ribs, shocking him. He beeped and took off, Ezra close on his heels. Kanan rolled his eyes and followed them.

Sabine slipped off Zeb's arm obediently, but there was an evil glint in her eye that Zeb wasn't too fond of. He'd seen that look before, and nothing good ever followed. Zeb knew he'd never get any peace unless he told her, although he would be teased endlessly.

"Fine," Zeb said, rolling his eyes. "Yes, we kissed. Happy?" Sabine squealed happily, bouncing in place. She took off after the others, cheering. "I'm never going to hear the end of this," Zeb said drily. Hera laughed as she went to follow.

"No, you won't," she agreed. "Congratulations," she added, patting his shoulder when she passed him. Zeb smirked.

"Yeah, well, you an' Kanan seem to be happy, so I thought I'd try it out," Zeb said. He snorted at Hera's shocked look and scurried away before she could recover. He'd pay for that later, but it was worth it. For now, though, he was going to go visit Ahsoka. Zeb smiled as he made his way off the _Ghost_ and towards the medbay. Maybe, after she recovered, they could spar again. He needed the practice, and alone time with Ahsoka wouldn't be too bad, either.


End file.
